Drysdales on Islay

[PandaBud]

Hello P-J and thanks for your info. A couple of bits there that I didn't know or was unsure about. My father and uncle used to tell me that Romeo was the last governor of Dumbarton Castle but I was always a bit dubious about that. Custodian fits better. I believe there may still be a Drysdale branch in Australia descended from the Islay Ferrier that went to China. I came across what would have been my second cousin on another forum, unfortunately a couple of years after she had died. There is a company called Islay Ferrier Drysdale in Australia which must have some connection.

HelenLa, I have no idea why there is such a gap between Romeo's marriage and the first child. I hadn't thought about it before but it is interesting. I have a copy of his army discharge papers and he didn't serve abroad. I thought Margaret Hargroves was only 16 when they married but that doesn't tie in with a death at 73. I may need to try and find my original sources and re-check. If you need info for your own tree, Margaret's parents were Richard Hargroves 1752-1792 and Mary Hodgson. That's as far back as I got.

[dijaks]

Oh dear!  Now that I have read P-J's message, I will have to go back and change my Islays to Ilay!  Obviously Romeo had a great respect for P-J's ancestor and Romeo himself sounds like a good and honourable man.  As Romeo had 5 sons, I imagine they all named a son Romeo, and another son was probably named Islay or Ilay.  Remember Scottish naming patterns were followed closely in the 1800s.  Don't get me started on my ancestors on the Island of Skye!!!  My cousin Mary Lindsay Murray who married Ilay Ferrier Drysdale, named one of her daughters Lillias Boyle Drysdale after Ilay's mother, and another was named Helen McIntyre Drysdale, after her mother!!!    I still think Romeo's wife would have been Hargreaves, not Hargrove.  Hargrove sounds made up to me!   Clerks in those days were barely literate.  Perhaps a son named a daughter after Margaret? 
This could prove it one way or the other?    I hadn't noticed the years between Romeo's marriage and the first child's birth before!  Was he away at war?  Was he overseas?  Did he have to leave his new wife at home?  As I am in Australia, I will have to look at the Company mentioned above.   I did like the name ISLAY.  What a pity.  Perhaps if someone traces the later Ilays or Islays back, they will find the connection to the first one?  Cheers!

[dijaks]

Further to my message, it occurred to me to ask why Romeo Drysdale married Margaret Hargroves in Kendal, Westmoreland, England?  I found several Margaret Hargroves born at the right time in Kendal, Westmoreland, England!!!  (Often the bride is married in her home town!!!)  Then I found another Romeo Drysdale, born and baptised to Romeo and Margaret in Woolwich, Kent, England, on 30 Apr 1805.  Was Woolwich, Kent, England, a military establishment?  Then I found a ROMEI DRYSDALE born and baptised at Founders Hall Lothbury Scots Church in London, England, on 1 Oct 1765!  Twin brothers, Robert and John, were baptised on 11 Apr 1762.  So this may be your Romeo, born to another military man without a first name?  I also found several other Romeo and Islay Drysdales, one born in China and a POW in Japan, then migrated to Hawaii, and others who migrated to mainland USA.  All on Family Search!!!  I will leave it up to the descendants to find out more!  Di

[Amber123]

Hello,

Romeo Drysdale is also my four times great grandfather, through his first son, Romeo Drysdale, and his daughter Elizabeth Drysdale. His son, Romeo, died quite young, in Liverpool, and along with his brother, Richard Drysdale, was a joiner there. I wonder why they went to Liverpool? I too am curious about where the name Romeo comes from, and the parentage of Romeo of Dumbarton Castle, as I have not got further back. I did find a copy of his marriage certificate to Margaret Hargroves in Kendal (on familysearch) where her father is listed as John Hargroves, and I did find a 'Romei Drysdale' baptised in London to unnamed parents in 1865, but that is it. It would also be interesting to learn more about his army career.

Thanks for sharing this interesting information here.

[janceyb87]

Hi, I have a Jarvis Drysdale (b. ~1810 d.1847) who is listed as the eldest son of Romeo Drysdale, Dumbarton in his death notice. does anyone know how this ties in to the family?

[PandaBud]

Interesting stuff. Not been on for a while. Will reply to what I can.

Jarvis Drysdale, hadn't heard of Jarvis. I have a John Duncan Drysdale born in 1810. Third son after Romeo (1805) and William (1808). Jarvis/John could be the same person.

I did know there was branch that went to Liverpool and Cheshire but I have to admit that I haven't looked into this in detail. Via Ayrshire, or am I mixing up brothers? Interesting that you have John Hargroves as Margaret's father. I don't remember where I got Richard from. It wasn't the marriage certificate, so I suspect that you're correct. Any other information on the certificate?

I have seen two Romeo Drysdales baptised in the Scots Church in Woolwich in London. Woolwich was the home to the Royal Artillery which is where I would expect Romeo to get his training. The two baptisms weren't far apart in date. I never investigated them both. It could be another family, it could be Romeo having another woman, it could be a mistake with the records, it could be the first one died?

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3290612

The above is the web page for the Drysdale Memorial in Dumbarton. I have visited it and it is in a very poor condition but we're lucky it survived at all.

I haven't done any family tracing for quite a few years. The details I have for Master Gunner Romeo Drysdale are, born in Paisley, Renfrewshire in 1766. Died in Dumbarton in 1849. He was discharged from the Royal Artillery  in 1844, aged 78, after 60 years service. I did have his address in Dumbarton but can't find it at present. It's shops and car parking now. He was listed as a weaver when he joined the army in Lanark. Both Paisley and Lanark have weaving histories. I have done an online search through various Paisley church records without success. Some searching in Lanark but again with no success. Paisley does have a very good heritage centre with good records and at some point I will visit it and see if they can find something I've missed.

I'm happy to pass on any info I have or can remember but a lot of the details were on my old computer which died on me a while back. If anybody finds anything interesting, please post it. Always good to find something new.

[MonicaL]

From the Glasgow Courier 4 September 1847

[MonicaL]

Hi janceyb87

What else do you have on Jarvis Drysdale? Did he marry and have children?

Have you found him on the 1841 census?

Added: Is this his marriage?

JARVIS DRYSDALE
and
ANN DONELLY
22/10/1829
644 / 1410 / 99
Glasgow

Also showing in the Roman Catholic Parish registers:

JARVIS DRYSDALE
and
ANN DONELLY
23/10/1829
Glasgow, St Andrew's

The image from the RC parish marriage register states that Jarvis was born in Greenock and Ann was originally from Armagh (town). Richard Drysdale was one of the witnesses.

Monica

[MonicaL]

With a son called Romeo, is this Ann (Donnelly) with children in 1841? www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a14ef4ef4040b9d6ef6eac3/romeo-drysdale-1841-lanarkshire-glasgow-1834-?locale=en

Wonder where Jarvis was. Trying to get a check on his birth year.

I can only see one baptism, son Romeo in 1835. This entry shows in the Roman Catholic parish register on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

ROMEO DRYSDALE
Parents JERVIS DRYSDALE / ANN DONELLY
2/10/1835
9/10/1835
Glasgow, St Andrew's

Monica